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Media reports on Russian ships call into Ceuta are controversial — embassy

Earlier Jens Stoltenberg voiced concern over the possibility of new strikes near Aleppo that might be made from aboard the aircraft carrying flotilla led by the Admiral Kuznetsov

MADRID, October 26. /TASS/. Russian embassy in Madrid has pointed out the highly controversial media interpretations of the situation around the aircraft carrying flotilla led by the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

"In reality, the Russian mission informed the Spanish authorities that the ships wouldn’t call into the port of Ceuta owing to a change of plans," a source at the embassy told TASS on Wednesday. "The case in hand is a routine procedure of mutual informing.

"We noted a big diversity of interpretations, which the media gave on the embassy’s report regarding the ships in the Mediterranean," the source said, adding that some reports contained incorrect ship names

Earlier on the same day, the Spanish Foreign Ministry issued a report saying Russia had notified the Spanish authorities on revoking of its previous request for a call into the port of Ceuta by the ships of the North Fleet.

"The Russian embassy has just informed us it is revoking the request for a call into Ceuta," an official at the ministry said.

Initial plans presupposed a stop at Ceuta for replenishing reserves for several ships but after the statements made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg the government in Madrid said it would reconsider a decision to let the Russian naval ships into Spain’s north-African enclave.

"We’re revisiting the queries for the port call on the basis of information from our allies and the Russian authorities," the Foreign Ministry said. He said all NATO member-states realized the group might be used for delivering new air strikes at targets in Syria.

On Tuesday, Stoltenberg voiced concern over the possibility of new strikes at the irreconcilable militants in Aleppo that might be made from aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov.

The aircraft carrying detachment of the Russian North Fleet set out on a cruise to northwestern Atlantics and the Mediterranean on October 15. The press service of the fleet said it includes the heavy-duty aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear-powered missile-carrying cruise Peter the Great, the big antisubmarine ships Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov, and auxiliary seacraft.

The objective of the mission is to ensure Russian naval presence in the tactically important areas of the world ocean.